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The mainstream media has unfairly attacked Philadelphia and its hardworking sports fans yet again. Beginning on Friday, they viciously attacked our city and its fans for cheering when Bulls center Joakim Noah suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 of the Bulls-Sixers series.
ESPN announcer Mike Tirico viciously described the cheers as a "very unfortunate reaction from the fans." Others were even nastier, calling the fans "classless," "bush league," and "the worst sports fans in the world." Meanwhile, Andre Iguodala threw his own fans under the bus after the game, writing on Twitter that the injury was "def not something to cheer about."
First of all, the double standards here are stunning. Did the media go this crazy over the endless cheap shots delivered by the Penguins against the Flyers? Of course not. But when it's Philadelphia on the other side, the knives just come out, time and time again. My only regret was that the Flyers-Pens series ended without Sidney Crosby crumbling to the ice, because we would've done the same to him, only louder.
Besides, Noah plays the game like a clown. He screamed like a girl, which makes sense since he looks like a girl. And if doesn't want his injury to get cheered, maybe he shouldn't have gotten injured in the first place. And same goes for Michael Irvin, too.
Here in Philadelphia, we will never apologize for being passionate. We'll cheer and boo whoever we want to. This is America, and besides, last I checked freedom of speech was invented right here in Philadelphia.
Every time there's a fan incident in Philly, the media blows it all out of proportion, and all we hear about is how awful we fans are. In happens just about every week, and I'm damn sick of it.
Not to mention- while we Philly fans were occupying "Natitude" Park in Washington, at the same time we were cheering our NBA team, and the injury to the other team's most hatable player, back in Philly. How many fanbases can pull that off, making our presence felt in two places at once?
All of it just shows, once again: in America, attacking Philadelphia sports fans is really the last acceptable prejudice.
Other Philly sports takes:
- Another example of anti-Philadelphia media bias: Eli Manning hosted Saturday Night Live last week. Why not Michael Vick?
- The Sixers are winning their playoff series, largely because the other team's two best players are both injured. Now that's a winning formula- are you paying attention, Flyers?
- Remember the "Sopranos" episode where they left the Russian in the woods in Jersey? I was sort of hoping the Flyers would try that Sunday night with Ilya Bryzgalov.
- Sure, the Phils lost two of three to the Nationals in Washington over the weekend. But their #ourpark campaign clearly failed, as the place was chockfull of Phillies fans all weekend long. So really, we won.
- Bryce Harper is the new Sidney Crosby. I'm looking forward to hating him for the next 15 years. Kudos to Cole Hamels for throwing at him intentionally; I wasn't sure Cole had it in him.